A new division of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) trade body for recruitment to recruitment companies could be up and running in the new year.

The division’s mission will focus heavily on improving the image of the rec-to-rec sector, which provides staff for recruitment businesses.

The new division will have its own code of conduct, which members will ignore at their peril.

James Pritchard, managing director of rec-to-rec firm JPA – and a newly appointed regional director of the REC for London – is one of the prime movers behind the scheme.

He told Recruiter the new division would have a formal complaints procedure with a complaints line to police the industry.

Members of the new division can also opt for an audit by the REC if they want to further demonstrate their professional integrity.

A system of self-regulation would make sure that all sector members adhere to their code of conduct, Pritchard said. “If people sign a code of conduct and then throw it in the bin and don’t do what they say, they will not be well looked upon by other members of the group,” he added.

More serious breaches could see agencies banned from being REC members.

Pritchard added: “If you go against the REC code of conduct, you could be struck off. If an agency is not a sector member and not a member of the agency, you deal with them at your peril.”

The R2R forum – set up earlier this year by leading rec-to-rec companies – would continue as a managing directors’ dinner club, said Pritchard.